THE WORLD | IN BRIEF / SPAIN

Bomb Blamed on ETA Hurts General, 15 Others

A Spanish general and 15 other people were injured when a parcel bomb exploded in front of a Madrid bank, an apparent assassination attempt blamed on Basque separatists.

Gen. Justo Oreja Pedraza, 63, a lawyer in the Defense Ministry, was in serious condition with burns to most of his body. The others were treated at the scene for cuts and bruises, according to paramedics.

The explosion destroyed the facade of the Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria Bank. Police said the 4 1/2-pound bomb was in a knapsack strapped to a bicycle and was detonated by remote control as the general stepped out of his apartment next to the bank.